Saturday, April 28, 2012 - Caballo Lake State Park, Caballo NM

Rio Grande Riverside Camp, Caballo Lake State Park, Caballo NM, April 24, 2012

Boondocking by the river

Thought I'd throw in a picture that'll give you a hint of the lay of the land here by the river and my relationship to the cliffs across the river where the Great Horned Owls and bees hang out. The cliff isn't as close to the river as it looks. There's a dirt road between the river and the cliff which puts those owls frustratingly far from my viewfinder.

So far neither the weather nor the owls have cooperated to give me another decent shot at them. It was in the 90s most of the week and the uncharacteristic highs mixed at various times with high winds (and a dust storm) and clouds have dampened my enthusiasm and the birds haven't been hanging out on the cliff before sundown either. But I keep watching and hoping.

Night camp

Riverside - Caballo Lake State Park, Caballo NM

Verizon cell phone and broadband service - fair signal if a bit slow
Go to Caballo Lake State Park website
Locate Caballo Lake State Park on my Night Camps map
Check the weather here

Crayfish Chimney

Late one afternoon I sat upon my camera case beside the path where it wound through the darkest part of the woods, down near the pond, and watched a crayfish building his "chimney," the land entrance to his underwater tunnel. He had just started to work above the ground when I first arrived. He came up through the moist black earth, carrying a ball of it between his two enormous fighting claws. Using the claws as hands, he spread the soil around the hole to form the base of the chimney. He then backed down the hole and after several minutes came up with another armful.

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